


Let Your Words Take Flight

by Soeverlasting



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Storm in Arcadia Bay (Life is Strange), F/F, Love is Strange (Life is Strange Fangame), Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27586094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soeverlasting/pseuds/Soeverlasting
Summary: Max tries to get Victoria to admit to her friends that they're together.
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Victoria Chase
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	Let Your Words Take Flight

**Author's Note:**

> For context, this takes place after Victoria's route from Love is Strange, with minor references to Before the Storm.

Their lips parted, and Max smiled at Victoria, staring into her eyes. Victoria's body relaxed against Max's.

"Not bad Caulfeild."

Max rolled her eyes. Victoria always had to criticize her technique. The warmth from Victoria's hand made her flush red, already feeling the goosebumps spreading across her body. She never felt so happy.

"I can't wait to tell everyone." Max was so lost in her happy thoughts, in Victoria's touch that she failed to notice Victoria's eyes narrow at what Max just said.

/-/

One day after making out with Victoria, Max went into the cafeteria and found it mostly packed with barely any seats open.

Of course, Victoria and her friends got a table all to themselves. Should Max walk over to them? Do Taylor and Courtney know about them? Victoria's just sitting there staring at Max from across the cafeteria.

Max took a deep breath and made a beeline for Victoria's table.

Rachel is waving her over. Chloe's calling her. "Max. Hey Max. We're over here." However, Max chose to ignore them, heading straight over to the three popular girls mid-conversation.

"So I was like…," Taylor started to say but the words died as soon as Max made her way over. "What do you want, Caulfield?"

"Hey, Taylor. Courtney. Victoria." Max stood there, fidgeting with her tray. "Mind I seat here?"

"I think Amber and her little pet have room at their table." Victoria didn't look at Max as spoke. "Please sit over there Max." There wasn't the usual amount of venom in her voice, but Max still felt hurt at the rejection.

Taylor and Courtney didn't look very happy but they were wise enough not to say anything in front of Victoria. The pair felt something was off with Victoria today. She wasn't as mean to Max as usual. They didn't know what to make of it.

Max looked hurt and a little angry. She took a step back as if Victoria had slapped her.

"I'll see you guys later," Victoria turned to leave, to escape the awkward situation. Because Victoria left so quickly, she didn't notice Max squirming under the glares of her two lackeys.

Max retreated back to Chloe and Rachel. The couple looked at Max with concern. They were the first two people Max broke the news to. Both of them were still in utter disbelief at the pairing of Max and Victoria.

"So was Chasefield not canon after all?" Chloe said. Ugh, couple portmanteaus. Max wanted to strangle the person who made that a trend sometimes.

Rachel nudged her in the stomach.

"What?" Chloe said.

"Don't tease her," Rachel said. "You weren't exactly open when we first met."

"I stabbed a guy for you!" Chloe said.

Max heard about how Chloe met Rachel after Max left for Seattle. That period was a rough time for Chloe, but Max couldn't do anything about it now, but Rachel has been good for Chloe and vice versa. Max couldn't be happier for her best friend.

"I just don't know what happened," Max said as she sat down with Chloe and Rachel. "I thought me and Victoria were cool but then she acted like last week didn't happen." Max almost couldn't stop her eyes from tearing up.

Chloe's eyes narrowed and she stood up abruptly, eyeing the direction Victoria went. "I'm going to give that bitch a piece of mind."

"Babe?" Rachel stood up behind Chloe. Her hands gripped Chloe's shoulders to turn her around.

"Rache-" Rachel took a hold of Chloe's face and pulled her in for a kiss, silencing her.

Abashed, Max averted her gaze from the public display of affection. Chloe can be so easy sometimes.

Their lips parted, much to Chloe's dismay. "Let Max handle this," Rachel said.

Before Chloe could continue, a whistle rang out and all the students turned their heads to the source. David Madsen stormed into the cafeteria and headed straight to Chloe, her step-daughter.

"Chloe have some decency. You're in public." David barely could look Chloe in the eye.

"Fuck off step loser." Chloe flipped him the bird. Max left the table when Chloe accused David of voyeurism. These shouting matches are common at Blackwell and the students ate them up. Max would have spectated along with everyone else but she had to talk to Victoria, so she slipped out of the cafeteria.

Max confronted Victoria, tucked away behind a stairwell, about what happened in the cafeteria.

"Victoria what the hell was that?" Max's words echoed in the stairwell.

Victoria shushed Max with her finger. Max's lips feel really soft. Victoria shook her head, to focus, to search for the words to ease Max's frustrations.

"You caught me off guard," Victoria said.

"I was trying to sit with you," Max said.

"I haven't told Taylor and Courtney about us." Victoria blushed. "I don't want to overwhelm them with the news. Who have you told?"

"Rachel, Chloe, Warren, Alyssa, Brooke, and Samuel if only because he weirded it out of me."

Victoria couldn't believe Max. "Could you have told more people?"

"Is that a rhetorical question? It's not like we're supposed to be a secret. Right?" Max didn't really understand Victoria. They go to a liberal arts school. No one cares if you're gay. Kate might debate the merits of a same-sex relationship, but she'll remain civil and respectful.

"Max, please understand." Victoria paused, trying to form the words. "It's my father. He's very conservative, not unlike Kate's family I imagine. The Status Quo is very clear to him. Rich above poor. Men with women. If I step out of line…"

Victoria stayed silent as Max looked around. Not seeing anything, Max took out her polaroid camera, hoping to get a better view.

"What are you doing," Victoria said.

"Just seeing if your dad's around, Victoria. What do you know? Nowhere in sight." Max smirked hoping to inject some humor.

Victoria bopped Max lightly on the head. "Take this seriously," Victoria said but couldn't stop the smirk forming on her lips. "Look just let me just ease my friends to the idea of you and me together. We all can't just run around like slobbering idiots proclaiming how gay we are."

Max huffed her cheeks out in indignation. "Well tell your lackeys to stop giving me a hard time."

"I'll tell won't do anything to you, Max. Trust me," Victoria said.

/-/

Courtney and Taylor cornered Max in the bathroom.

Before she went to chemistry class, Max washed her hands in the bathroom. Just as she was about to leave, the bathroom door burst open and Taylor and Courtney marched inside.

While Courtney stood by the door and kept watch, Taylor pushed Max against the wall. "What is your deal with Victoria, Max? Like for real," Taylor said.

Max shouted, squirming and twisting her arm, trying to get it out of Taylor's grip. Max, true to form, cowered under Taylor's gaze. "We were paired together on an assignment for Mx. Dog's class. We spent a week working on it and after that, we're together." It sounded absurd when Max said it out loud, but that was exactly what happened.

"Really? Victoria's been your nemesis ever since the school year started and it took you a week to convert her?" Taylor wouldn't buy it for a second.

Courtney scoffed from the door. "That sounds like some sort of visual novel." Courtney heard someone approaching the bathroom. "Shit, we need to get out of here."

Taylor released her grip on Max. "I'm watching you Caulfeild, You better leave Victoria alone," Taylor said as she and Courtney left the bathroom.

"Wait," Max said and the pair stopped and turned. "What if I could prove it?"

/-/

Even when Max told Victoria about her encounter in the bathroom, she still won't say anything. Taylor and Courtney weren't gonna believe Max and Victoria are together unless Victoria said it herself.

Before Max knew it, the rumors spread from one clique to another. Victoria suddenly hanging out with Max ignited the imagination. The whole school was buzzing.

_I heard Caulfield's blackmailing Victoria._

_No, I heard she's hooking Victoria up with high-end narcotics._

_No way bruh, mind powers. Like Sean's little brother._

As the weeks roll by, Victoria continues to invite Max to sit with her. Victoria must have said something because Taylor and Courtney hadn't tried anything else since the bathroom. They're not openly hostile but they're not friendly either. Max felt unwanted.

"You need to say something," Max said when she and Victoria found some time alone. They were outside the dorms as the sun was setting, bathing the campus in a mixture of oranges, yellows, pinks, and blues.

"When the time is right," Victoria would say and that would be the end of the discussion until the next time Max brought it up. It seems like it's never the right time.

"Not good enough Victoria. I'm not some dirty little secret." Max found some confidence from Chloe. She can't keep putting up with the rumors all the school and the mean looks from Taylor and Courtney.

Victoria never saw Max be this assertive before. It felt was unsure of herself. She was always awkward with affection, but she wasn't ashamed of her feelings.

"It's not that easy Max."

"It's hella easy Victoria. As easy when you seduced me with great anime and a warm blanket." There was no way that was completely platonic.

Victoria blushed at the memory. It wasn't a _seduction_ , honest. "Max please-,"

"NO Victoria. People can't believe we're friends, let alone together. I'm starting to not believe it myself." Max paused to see Victoria's reaction, but the popular girl just looked at Max. "Was that last week all a lie?"

"No Max it wasn't a lie just wait," Victoria pleaded.

But Max already turned around to head back into the dorms. "No more words Victoria. I'm done."

This nerd, no, this bitch thinks she can walk away from Victoria Chase? Already fuming, she caught up to Max and grabbed her by the wrist, and spun her around.

"I never felt this way for anyone before. That last week we spent together, was the most genuine I felt in a long time. I studied my ass off for my photography and I'm jealous of the way photography just happens for you. I don't want to just be your friend. I wanna be your girlfriend. Is that good enough?"

Max grins and hugs Victoria, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Thank You."

Victoria smiles, stroking Max's hair. "I love you."

Victoria hears rustling in the bushes behind her and her eyes snap open. Stalking over to the bushes, Victoria found a cowering Taylor with a look of guilt on her face.

"Taylor, what the fuck are doing here," Victoria said. "I'm gonna sue your ass for-"

Taylor popped out of the bushes and Victoria lost her voice when she saw the camera in her hands.

"Taylor what a surprising...surprise. What are you doing here?"Max said, feigning innocence. Stick to photography Max.

"Alright Caulfeild, I believe you." Taylor eyed Victoria. "Damn V. Didn't think you'd be soft for Caulfeild."

Victoria's eyes darted between the three of them. Her mind put everything together. This was a set-up.

"YOU. TRICKED. ME." Victoria seethed at Max. Still wholly unsure if she felt embarrassed and angry or violated and exposed, Victoria wanted to throw her phone at Taylor but Max held her back.

"I'm so sorry, Victoria but it needed to come from you," Max said, happy that her ploy paid off. But Taylor didn't need to rat her out like that.

"The Blackwell Totem is going to love this," Taylor said.

"That wasn't part of the deal," Max said but Taylor already started to make a run for it.

"Taylor, get back here you bitch." Victoria, true to her name, broke free from Max's grip and quickly gave chase.

Taylor Christensen fled across the campus and Victoria and Max followed.


End file.
